Verdict
Summary
Cold Harvest is one of Gary Daniels’ better films with plenty of action, a fast pace and a fun villain in Little Ray.
Plot: A bounty hunter protects his dead brother’s wife in a lawless world after a comet has devastated much of earth.
Review: Gary Daniels and Isaac Florentine team up for this genre splicing gem which manages to cross sci-fi, western, action and martial arts into one helluva fun movie.
Daniels faces off against Bryan Genesse who plays the villainous Little Ray in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where a plague has been slowly wiping out mankind.
Cold Harvest reminded me somewhat of Cyborg in terms of the story with Daniels’ character Roland Chaney guiding a pregnant woman (Barbara Crampton) through this wasteland after her husband (also Gary Daniels) is murdered in cold blood by Little Ray.
Right from the start you get a Spaghetti Western vibe as Roland is essentially the lone gunslinger/bounty hunter who is one of the few men tough enough to brave these lands and take on any outlaws he comes across.
Not only do we get some Western moments but we get to see Daniels kick plenty of ass and he really demonstrates that in terms of fighting skills he’s one of the best action stars in the business.
Bryan Genesse plays an awesomely over the top (and smug) villain where you really hate Little Ray; there’s no real motivation behind why he is a bad guy… he’s just a dick and that’s all we need. I liked how he and Roland/Oliver wee childhood friends which added something to their relationship.
There is a hilarious scene where Barbara Crampton’s character Christine Chaney is washing herself with Daniels watching in a mirror; while he’s doing this he’s polishing his shotgun in a not very subtle fashion and is one of the funniest moments in the film.
There are several nods to other films like Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns but also John Woo which is only a good thing.
As this is directed by Isaac Florentine then we already know the action will be spot on and it doesn’t disappoint. We can see every punch and kick and there is plenty of R rated violence to satisfy any action fan. It’s around 90 minutes long so it’s never dull and moves along at a fast pace too; sure, it is a B movie but there’s not a thing wrong with that!
The script isn’t all that memorable and I guess it’s not the most original tale ever but I still really enjoy it.
Overall, Cold Harvest is one of Gary Daniels’ best films with plenty of action, a fast pace and a fun villain in Little Ray.